A Black and White Colobus Monkey (Colobus guereza polykomos) sits on a rock in its exhibit at the Miami MetroZoo in Florida, USA.
The Colobus monkey has a number of features that demonstrate adaptation to a life spent primarily in the upper levels of the forest canopy. A light weight bone structure and elongated limbs make it easier to leap from branch to branch. A hand with four fingers and no thumb provides a strong grasp on branches as the animal moves through the trees. (The name "colobus" means "mutilated one" and refers to the missing thumb.)
In traveling from tree to tree, these animals often perform spectacular downward leaps of 15-20 feet, during which the long shoulder hair acts like a parachute, fanning out to help check the animal's descent.